Railroad-switch.



No. 634,706. Patented Oct. to, sa a.

H. STELTEB.

RAILROAD SWITCH.

(Application filed Apr. 14, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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ATTORNEYS,

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companying drawings.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN s'rnt'rnn, or rrrrsnune, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD-SWITCH.-

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,706, dated October 10, 1899.

Application filed Apr-i114, 189 9. Sofia-1N0. 712,977. (No model.)

To allwhcm it may concern:

Be itknown that I, HERMAN STELTER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in switches, and more a particularly to that class known as automatic switch-turners secured to the platform of a car.

The invention has for its object to construct The invention has for its further object to construct a device of this character that may be advantageously employed on street-railways, but is particularly designed to be used on railroads and tramways.

With the above and other objects in view the invention finally consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more particularly described, and specifically pointed out in the claims. v e 1 In describing the invention in detail reference is bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the sev'eral views thereof, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a car with my improved switch-turner attached thereto, showing the track in sections, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the operating parts in their proper position. 2 is a top plan view of the rails, showing in dotted lines my attachment secured in position. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the line a" m, Fig. 2. Fig. 4is an enlarged detailview inperspective of the swivellever operating the frogs. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in perspective showing the end of said swivel-lever. Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the lever-arms. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view in perspective of the antifriction-roller arranged in the Fig.

bifurcated end of the swivel-lever, as shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is adetail View of the foot operating mechanism. Fig. 9 is a detail view of the switch-operating mechanism.

Referring to the drawings by reference-numerals, 1 indicates the platform ofa car,which is suitably apertured at 2, in which is arranged a foot-lever 3,carryinga cog-rack 4, en gaging a cog-wheel 5, the latter being mounted on the common shaft 6.

(5 represents a pulley-cord secured to the pulley 7, passing over the pulley9, having its other end connected to the link 12. The pulley 7 is secured to the under side of the platform of the car by a hanger 8.

The reference-numeral 9 indicates a pulley supported by a hanger 10 to the under side of the platform. A hanger 11 is attached to the under side of the platform, to which is-- pivotally secured a link 12, pivot-ally connected at 13 to alink 14, which is pivotally secured at its other end, as shown at 15, to a lever-arm 16, said lever-arm having its forward end pivotally connected at 17 to the end of a stay-rod 18, which is rigidly secured to the under side of the platform. The rear end of the lever-arm 16 is formed into a downwardly-projecting tongue 19, the upper end of which tongue is secured to a spiral spring 20, the upper end of said-spring being secured at 21 to the under side of the car.

The reference-numerals 22,22 represent the rails of the mainline, and 23 23 the rails of the siding. 24 24 represent the frogs of the switch. A casing 25 is arranged centrally between the frogs 22 22 and extends in alinement therewith, said casing having formed I which extend and operate in a casing 36 36.

The free ends of the rods 35 35 are screwline.

threaded, as shown at 37 37, carrying an ad justing-nut 38. A spiral spring 3.) encircles the end'of the operating-rods 35 The reference numeral 40 represents a bracket which is secured by means of a bolt and nuts 41 to the inner web of the rail, said bracket carrying a swivel-lever 42, said lever being centrally apertured at 43 for the reception of a pin'44, engaging the bracket 40, and the said swive1-lever42 carries enlarged heads 45, said enlarged heads being slotted, as indicated by the reference-numerals 46 46, the said slots extending at a slight angle of approximately twenty-five degrees. The said enlarged heads are formed with bifurcated ends 47, having apertures 48 48 arranged therein for the reception of the shafts 49 49 of the antifriction-rollers 5O 50. The operating-rods 35 35 are adapted to operate between the bifurcated ends 47 of the enlarged heads 45, said bifurcated ends being also arranged to abut against the end of the spring 39. A pin 51 is secured to the under side of the bracket and is adapted to en gage the slots 46 46 of the heads 45 of the swivel-lever 42.

It will be understood that there are arranged upon the platform of the car a pair of operating-levers, the one adapted to engage in the slot 26 and the other in the slot 26.

The operation of my improved device is as follows: For the purpose of illustration it will be presumed that the main line and switch are in position, as shown in'Fig. 2 of the drawings, and it is desired to close the switch and continue to travel on the main In order to throw the switch in the latter position, a slightfoot-power is exerted upon the foot-lever 3, forcing the cog-rack 4 downwardlyand imparting motion to the cogwheel 5, thereby rotating the pulley 7, operatingthe pulley-cord 6, and moving the link 12 downwardly, which in turn operates the link 14, which in turn depresses the leverarm 16, forcing the downwardly-projecting tongue into the slot 26 and engaging the beveled end 30 of the lever-arm 29, operating the rod 35, which reciprocates in the bifurcated end 47 and against the inner face of the pulley 50. The spring 39 acts as a buffer to take up the sudden jar that would be occasioned by a car moving at a high rate of speed. The operation of the rods 35 35 will communicate motion to the swivel-lever 42, thereby operating the switch in the desired position. When it is desired to open the switch, the opposite foot mechanism is operated and is adapted to engage in the slot 26, and the operation will be reversed.

It will be noted that various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination with a car, a lever-arm, suitable means to lower and raise said leverarrn, suitable casings arranged between the rails, a swivel-lever having slots formed therein and extending at an angle thereto, operating-rods connecting said swivel-lever, and lever-arms connecting said rods adapted to engage said lever-arm, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a foot-lever carrying a cog-rack, a cog-wheel adapted to engage said rack, a set of pulleys secured to the under side of the platform of a car, a pulleycord operating links of a lever-arm, a leverarm, rodsconnected to said lever-arm carrying bifurcated ends, an antifriction-roller, secured to said bifurcated ends, an operatingrod slidingly attached to said bifurcated ends,

a spiral spring surrounding the end of said operating-rod and a lever-arm attached to said operating-rod adapted to engage said leverarm of the switch-turning mechanism, substantially as described, and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. In an apparatus of the character de-- scribed, the combination of a foot-lever having a cog-rack, a cog-wheel arranged below the platform of a car adapted to engage said rack, pulleys, a pulley-cord operating over said pulleys, a link secured to the end of said pulley-cord, a lever-arm adapted to be raised and lowered, a spiral spring securedto said lever-arm, suitable casings arranged between the rails, a bracket engaging said rai1s,a swivel-lever mounted on said bracket having formed onits end enlarged heads provided with slots, operating-rods engaging the ends of said swivel-lever, and lever-arms pivotally connected to said operating-rods adapted to engage the lever-arm of the switchturning mechanism, substantially as herein shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

HERMAN STELTER.

WVitnesses:

JOHN NOLAND, E. W. ARTHUR. 

